134 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IV. 



THE DANCE, 1902. 



All being in readiness, the priests again formed in a semicircle 

 on the west side of the lodge and in front of the dancers. Wadtana- 

 kashi, the substitute Lodge-Maker, left his position in the line, went 

 to the fireplace, where he obtained a live coal, and returned to the 

 west side of the lodge, where he sat down, south of the skull, placing 

 the coal in front of him. Cedar-leaves were given him by Hawkan, 

 which Waatanakashi held in the fingers of his right hand, the elbow 

 of which rested upon his right knee. (See Plate LXIX.) 



Five songs were now sung, during which time Waatanakashi waved 

 his hand back and forth in front of his face, on his right side during 

 the first two songs, on his left during the third and fourth song, ahd 

 in front of his face during the fifth song. He dropped the leaves on 

 the coal (see Plate LXX.), took up the rawhide and placed it over 

 the incense, carried it in the usual fashion (see Plate LXXI.), and 

 threw it among the drummers, having first motioned toward them four 

 times. During this rite the rattle was not used, nor did any one beat 

 with the pipe-stem upon the Badger-pack. 



The musicians now began the Sun Dance songs; each of the dan- 

 cers arose, having adjusted his kilt, headdress, and whistle, and having 

 a piece of sage in his right hand. The dancing was continued, at 

 intervals, throughout the remainder of the day and far into the night. 



FIFTH DAY, 1901; SIXTH DAY, 1902. 



This day corresponds to. the sixth day of the 1902 performance. 

 The number and succession of events on the two days were practically 

 the same, except that in the second performance the intrusive dances 

 given in the ceremony of 1901 were omitted. Such intrusive dances 

 do not properly belong to the Sun Dance, and have no regular place 

 in the list of rites. 



Under ordinary circumstances, this day is known as "Medicine 

 Day," and was treated as such in the second performance. The dan- 

 cers had now fasted for about forty hours, and it was supposed that by 

 this time their mind was in proper condition to be susceptible to the 

 influence of the sun. The singing and dancing of this day was of a 

 more serious nature than that of the preceding day. The dancers 

 were exhorted to be of a reverent frame of mind. 



It may be mentioned here, though the observation has no direct 

 bearing on the rites of this day, that the preceding day in the perform- 

 ance of 1902 had been excessively hot, as had the weather for many 



